Socket for switch signal lamps



R. C. SCHATZMAN SOCKET FOR SWITCH SIGNAL LAMPS Nov. 21, 1944.

Filed Dec. 28, I943 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. film 50:62 agmaw,

ATTORIQEY.

Patented Nov. 21, 1944 "UNIT-so 1 SOCKET Foaswrron SIGNALLAMPS poration'of Maine Application December I This invention relates to improvements in socket means for detachably m'ountin'g'a switch Robert 0.. Schatz in am Arlington, J., seem to Lovell-Dressel .C'o., Incl, Arlington, N

. 1., a cor- 2 s, 1943, 'Serial No. 515,991

signal lamp on the lamp standard of a. hand controlled railroad switch actuating mechanism.

This invention has for an object to" provide a strong, durable and ye't comparatively inexpensive stampedsheet metalv socket structure adapted to be aifixed to a switch signal lamp base,

whereby to'detachably' mount saidlamp on the stub of the lamp standardof a switch actuating mechanism'to be served thereby. I

The invention has for a further object to pro 1 vide a novel socketstructure for the purposes stated comprising an-assembly of stamped sh'eet. metal parts-adapted to provide an axially dis-. posed. endwise open socket portion having external radially extending'sections, upper portions of said sections beingv formed to provide lamp base engaging and supporting bracket arms, and lower portions of said sections being formed to provide. foot pieces; said parts including novel means for mutuallysecuring the same one to an- I other in unitary socket structure forming relae' tion. I I

The invention has a stamped sheet metal socket structure, charac-' terized as above stated'i'nclu'ding an independent l". another'obj to provide Similar characters of reference are employed in the above-described sponding parts.

- 'The socket structure according, to this invention comprises four substantially similar parts A, B, C and D, each of which is formed from asheetmetal blank I 0 such as shown in Fig. 9.

Theseblanks Ill .are stamped out from sheet metal stock of suitable thickness, and said blanks are given a peripheral shape calculated to provide the various elements which cooperate to make up the completed socket structure as hereinafter ,de-

scribed.

In working a blank to producetherefrom a socket structure part, the blank is bent along a longitudinal line a-a, whereby to dispo-sebody portions II and I2 thereof in right angular relation, so as'to'form acorner wall section of the socket portion of the completed structure. I The'section 13 of the blank, which extends lat erally from the body portion H thereof, is bent along a'longitudinalline bb so as to dispose the same in exteriorly projecting right angular re- 1 lation to said body portion II. This section I3 is of such peripheral shape that its upper portion provides a bracketarm' IA having a top edge socket'bushing," and means tointerchangeably aflix the latter within the socket structure interi'onwhereby the socket structure may be furnished with a selected size of bushing corresponding to and adapted to fit the particular size of .lamp standard stub upon which a lampi desired to be mounted any given case; i Other objects of this invention, not at thisti'me more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same. 1 An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in' the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an elevational viewof the stamped sheet metal socket structure according to this invention, and as operatively attached to a switch signal lamp and engaged on the lamp standard stub of a switch actuating mechanism,, the lamp and lamp standard and stub being shown in dotted outline; Fig. 2 is a top plan view'of the stamped sheet metalsocket structure; Fig.3 is

a bottom plan view of the same; Fig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional 'view' thereof. taken on the 4- -4 in Fig. 2;- and. Figs. 5 6, 7. and 8 are respectively elevational views ofltheseveralrespective lidisposed in a horizontal plane spaced above theplane of the top edges of said body portions II and I2. .The free end of said bracket arm 14 is bent along alongitudinal line cc into substantially right "angular relation to the bracket arm body, thus providing an attachment lug or car It, for purposes to be subsequentlyset forth.

The section l9 of the blank which extendslaterally fromthe body portion l2 thereof, is bent along a longitudinal line d'd so as to dispose the same in exteriorlyprojecting right angular relation to's'aid'body portion l2. Said section i9 ii I , is provided at'itsopposite ends with clenchina lugs'M whichrespectively project freely beyond thetop and bottom'edg' es of the body portions H and I2. e 'The section 'l3'of the blank is further provided in its respective top and bottomedges. at points thereof closely adjacent to the'juncture of sa d section 13' with the body portion I l, with indented v notches 2 I, for purposes presently to be forth.

I ofth'e corner wall section formed by the angularly views, to indicate cone-- related body portions H and I2, with stop lug elements 22, and the body portion l2 of the blank is provided at its bottom end with keeper lugs 23 formed in connection with the bottom marginal edge portions thereof; all for purposes likewise to be presently described.

To assemble the parts A, B, C and D, which have been produced from the blanks H1 in the form and manner above described, said parts are brought together so that the included angles of their corner wall sections face inwardly. When thus brought together the outwardly and laterally extending section IQ of one part will lie in a plane parallel to that of the outwardly and laterally extending section l3l4-l 1 of the next adjacent part, and the former will close in face to face meeting relation to the latter. To mutually secure and interlock the parts one to another as thus related, whereby to produce the unitary socket structure, the clenching lugs at the upper and lower ends of the sections I9 are turned and clenched over the top and bottom edges of the adjacent sections l3l4l1, to pass transversely thereover through the notches 2|- and thence downwardly over the opposite faces of the latter, thereby securely coupling adjacent parts together in immovably aflixed relation one to another. When the parts are thus united in socket structure forming relation, the adjoined corner wall sections will form a socket portion containing an endwise open socket chamber of rectangular cross-section, from which socket portion radiate the laterally and exteriorly extending sections, upper portions of which prowde the bracket arms l4 and lower portions of which provide the foot pieces IT.

The blanks I0 may be provided with corner wall body portions II and I 2 of relatively different widths (as shown), so that when said blanks are formed into the socket structure parts, and said parts are assembled, a socket portion and chamber of oblong cross-sectional shape is produced. On the other hand, if desired, the blanks [0 may be provided with corner wall body portions H and [2 of equal width, so that when formed into the socket structure parts, and said parts are assembled, a socket portion and chamber of square cross-section is produced.

The socket structure of this invention is adapted to be affixed to the bottom of a switch signal lamp, such e. g. as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1 and indicated by the reference character L. Said lamp L is provided with a bottom plate P having a dependent peripheral flange F. The socket structure is: assembled with the lamp by engaging its bracket arms 14 with the lamp bottom plate P, so that the latter is seated on and supported by the top edges l5 of said bracket arms, while the angular attachment lugs or ears l5 are abutted against the bottom plate flange F, to which said lugs or ears It may be secured in any suitable manner or byany suitable means. In this manner, the socket structure is afilxed in axially aligned relation to the lamp L, so as to project downwardly therefrom.

The lamp L is adapted to be mounted on'the lamp standard S of a switch actuating mechanism, desired to be served thereby, by inserting the stub s of said standard in the socket chamber of the socket structure. Since, the stubs s of different lamp standards may vary in cross sectional dimensions, the socket structure of this invention is provided with an interchangeable socket bushing 24, and means to retain the latter in operative assembled relation thereto, whereby the socket structure may be standardized, but nevertheless, by means of the interchangeable socket bushing, easily and quickly adapted to fit any given size of lamp standard stub. To this end, a socket bushing 24 of desired aperture size havingbeen selected, said bushing 24 is inserted within the interior chamber of the socket portion, until the former is stopped against the stop lug elements 22 of the socket structure, which stop lug elements have been turned down into horizontal plane to project over the socket portion interior, and thus so as to lie in the path of upward movement of the inserted bushing 24, whereby to prevent upward displacement of the bushing from operative'assembled relation to the socket portion. After the bushing 24 is thus disposed within the socket portion, the keeper lugs 23 are turned inwardly over the lower end marginal portions thereof, thus fixing the bushing in place and against downward displacement.

From the above description it will be understood that the instant invention provides a socket structure for switch signal lamps of novel sheet metal construction, which is economical to produce, and yet sturdy and durable 'in use; the same providing the additional advantage of including an interchangeable socket bushing, whereby a standardized form of socket structure can be quickly and easily adapted to fit various sizesof lamp standard stubs.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A socket structure for attachment to the bottom of a railroad switch signal or other lamp comprising, an assembly of stamped sheet metal parts, each part including a socket portion bounding corner wall section, an angularly disposed lamp base engaging and supporting bracket arm section extending exteriorly from one side margin of said corner wall section, and an angularly disposed coupling section extending exteriorly from the other side margin of said cor ner wall section, said coupling section terminating at its ends in clenching lug elements; said parts thus characterized being assembled together with the included angles of their corner wall sections inwardly facing to enclose an axial socket chamber, the coupling section of one part bein disposed in face to face meeting relation to the bracket arm section of an adjoining part, and the clenching lug elements of said coupling sections being clenched around top and bottom marginal portions of said bracket. arm sections, whereby said parts are mutually secured one to another to collectively form a unitary structure.

2. A socket structure for attachment to the bottom of a railroad switch signal or other lamp comprising an assembly of stamped sheet metal parts, each part including a socket portion bounding corner wall section, an angularly disposed lamp base engaging and supporting bracket arm section extending exteriorly from one side margin of said corner wall section, and an angularly disposed couplin section extending exteriorly from the other side margin of said corner wall section, said coupling section terminating at its ends in clenching lug elements; said parts thus characterized being assembled together with the included angles of their corner wall sections inwardly facing to enclose an axial socket chamber, the coupling section of one part being disposed in face to face meeting relation to the bracket arm section of an adjoining part, and the clenching lug elements of said coupling sections being clenched around top andbottom marginal portions of said bracket arm sections',,whereby said parts are mutually securedone to another to collectively form a, unitarystructure: a socket bushing inserted within said socket chamber; .corner .wallsections of assembled parts having inturned stop lugs at upper endsthereof engageableby the upper end of said inserted bushing, and said corner wallsections also having inturned keeper lugsat 'IOWBI' ends thereof to "engage the lower end'of j'said inserted bushing.

3. A socket structure for attachment to the 3 4'. A socket structure forattachment to the bottom of arailroad switch signal or other-lamp comprising an assembly of stamped sheet metal parts, each part including a socket portion bounding a corner wall sectidn, an angularly disposed lamp baseenga'ging and supporting bracket arm section extending exteriorly from one side margin of said corner wall section, and

-. an angularly disposed coupling section extendbottom of arailroadswitch signal or other lamp in comprising an assembly offstampedjsheet metal r parts, each part including a socket" portion bounding a corner wall section, an-angularly dis posed lamp base engaging and supporting bracket arm sectionextendin'g exteriorly from one side margin of said corner wall section, and

an angularly disposed coupling section extending exteriorly from the otherside margin of said corner wallsection, said parts thuscharacterized being assembled together with the included angles of their cornerwall sections inwardly -facing to enclos anaxial socket chamber; the

ingexteriorly from the other side margin of said corner wall section, said parts thus characterized being assembled together with the ina cluded angles of their'corner wall sections in- I wardly facing to enclose an axial socket chamber, and the coupling section of one part beingsecured in face to face meeting relation tothe other to collectively vform a unitary structure.

bracket arm section ofan adjoining part, whereby said parts are mutuallysecured one to'an-a the upper endof said inserted bushing,- and'said corner wall sections also having inturned keeper 25 lugs at lower. ends thereof 'to engage thelOWel end of said inserted bushing. I I

RQBER'I' c. SCHATZ'MAN. 

